


Child Moon

by semaphoredrivethru



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Movie Verse Only, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-12
Updated: 2012-04-12
Packaged: 2017-11-03 12:58:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/semaphoredrivethru/pseuds/semaphoredrivethru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Qui-Gon arched an eyebrow.  "I would have thought you had outgrown bedtime stories and fairy tales by now, Padawan," he said with a smile.</p><p>Obi-Wan scowled good-naturedly. "Not a fairy tale, Master.  I want to hear a story about you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Child Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Fic written circa 2000.
> 
> Crap, I am getting so old.

There is a time in the evenings, known to the Jedi masters as the Golden Hour. It is after the evening meal is finished, when meditations and exercises have been completed, and the younger padawans have been sent off to bed. The masters use this time to finish reports, catch up with each other, or just to enjoy a few blessed moments to themselves.

The Golden Hour remains special even when the padawans have grown older and more independent - a time to get ahead on studies, catch up on reading, or any of the other miscellanea for which the hectic life of a Jedi rarely affords the time. 

Even off-world, during missions big and small, the Jedi tend to observe this unofficial tradition. It is as if by taking those few moments where nothing is expected of them, just as they have always done, they carry a small part of the Temple with them.

Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, were no different from their peers in this way. Whenever possible, the late evenings were spent either talking to each other or each off doing his own thing, be it reading or contacting friends from across the Galaxy. As Obi-Wan reached his mid-teen years, the Golden Hour was more and more frequently spent in separate ways, as is the usual way of things.

One evening, when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were away on a diplomatic mission, Qui-Gon realized he could not find his customary peace of mind. It was well into the Golden Hour, and he had been blankly staring at the same passage of the novel he held. Instead of enjoying the rare luxury of the book made of real paper that he had been lent, Qui-Gon was worrying about his Padawan.

The people they were there to help did not regard Obi-Wan as a adult because he had not achieved anything they deemed as a rite of passage, even though he had probably seen more with his 15 year-old eyes than many of the diplomats. As a result, Obi-Wan was barred from the proceedings, and forced to spend his days with the petulant children of the royal house. After nearly a standard week of this, Qui-Gon could easily read the signs of strain on his apprentice.

Just as Qui-Gon resolved to go and check on Obi-Wan, the teenager walked into the common room where Qui-Gon was sitting. Laying on the floor, facing the ceiling, Obi-Wan laced his fingers over his stomach, and looked at Qui-Gon.

"Tell me a story, Master," he said. "Please."

Qui-Gon arched an eyebrow. "I would have thought you had outgrown bedtime stories and fairy tales by now, Padawan," he said with a smile.

Obi-Wan scowled good-naturedly. "Not a fairy tale, Master. I want to hear a story about you."

The other eyebrow shot up in surprise. "A story about me? What kind of story?"

"Anything." Obi-Wan shrugged and rolled onto his side to better face Qui-Gon. "You have been so many places, met so many people, seen so much. There must be some story you could share with me," he said. "Please?"

Happily shocked that Obi-Wan was showing such an interest in his life, Qui-Gon nodded. "All right then," he said. 

"Thank you." Obi-Wan lay flat on his back again and smiled.

"The story I will tell you," Qui-Gon began, "is of how I was once told a story I will always remember. I haven't told it to very many people, but somehow I think you will enjoy it, Obi-Wan.

"The Sengaar System is made of three planets that orbit a yellow star, and each planet is covered in the rich blue and green of life. The second planet is slightly smaller than its neighbors, but it is also the only one with two satellites; the others have only one each. Known as Sengi by the nav charts, and Grendhi by its inhabitants, this small, largely agricultural planet is also my favorite.

"When I was younger, and had not yet taken a Padawan, most of my missions were with various Knights my age, though a few missions I was allowed to go on by myself. Mostly baby searches and minor bodyguard work, I still relished the opportunity to see the Galaxy and learn firsthand of the peoples I encountered. Even after I took on a Padawan, I would accept these missions, and use them as a time of reflection. One of those solo missions was to Sengi, to test an infant's midichlorian count.

"I arrived mid-afternoon and could tell from the bustle around me that I had arrived on a festival day. Curious as to the nature of this festival, I decided to curb my wandering mind long enough to complete the job I had been sent to do.

"Upon arriving at the home of the parents who had contacted us about their child, I quickly deduced that this infant would be a perfect candidate for the Jedi Order, and told the parents this. While understandably sad at the prospect of losing their child, the parents were also very pleased that their son would likely one day join the ranks of the Jedi, and would make a difference to many people. They did have one request of me, though; they wished for me to stay the night, to see the Festival of the Child Moon, and to one day pass on this heritage to their child.

"Eager to experience this for myself, I readily agreed. When the time for the festival came, I followed the family to the main gathering place for the people of the small capitol city. We sat on benches in a large amphitheater and waited for an old man seated in the center to speak. When he did begin to speak, I could tell from the enraptured faces and soundless mouthings all around me that this was a well-loved time for these people.

"'The Lady Moon,' he said, 'has long been known to whisper into the ears of our young. She can tell of events past and future, give counsel to those in need, and be a friend to a lost child at night. For many years, our people and the Lady Moon lived together happily, and every Solstice we paid Her the homage due.

'But then one night, the Lady Moon appeared shrouded in shadow. We knew She was still there, for we could see Her form behind Her veil of mourning, but no amount of pleading and praying could entice Her to show us Her lovely face once more.

'Night after night, the Lady Moon stayed wrapped in Her sorrow, and all the children could hear were Her soft whimpers of sadness.

'But there was one child, a boy, who thought he knew the cause of the Lady Moon's tears, for he had shed many of his own when his parents had died the year before. The people of his village had tried to comfort the boy, to take him into their homes, but no one could replace his mother's soft breast and his father's gentle hands. He had left his village, and gone to live in the woods, far from the painful memories of his lost mother and father.

'His first night away from the village, the boy had been frightened of the strange noises hiding in deep shadows, and he did not stop to sleep until he found a secure clearing, bathed in light from the Lady Moon. Tired, and empty of tears at last, the boy had lain on the soft grass and slept under the loving gaze of the Lady Moon. The Lady Moon had comforted him that night, and now the boy wished to help Her. 

'He recognized the sound of Her sorrow -- the sound of Her loneliness. It was the same sound that echoed in his heart still when he thought of all he would never share with his parents. The Lady Moon, so far from Her Lord Sun, could have no children.

'Every night, the boy went to the clearing where the Lady Moon had first comforted him, and watched Her rise in the sky, shrouded by Her loneliness. Finally, on the third night, the boy spoke aloud to the Lady Moon, something only priests were to do.

'"My Lady," the boy said, "would that I could comfort you. Would that I could ease your pain with a few words. But I feel pain as yours, my Lady. Would that we could comfort each other."

'The Lady Moon stopped crying for a few moments, but soon resumed Her sorrowful trek across the sky.

'On the next night, the boy again watch the Lady Moon rise, still consumed by Her emptiness. Again, the boy spoke aloud to Her.

'"My Lady," the boy said, "would that I could comfort you. Would that I could ease your pain with a few words. But I feel pain as yours, my Lady. Would that we could comfort each other."

'The Lady Moon stopped crying for a few moments, but again resumed Her sorrowful trek across the sky.

'The next night, the boy again watched the Lady Moon rise, still covered by Her sadness. And again, the boy spoke to Her.

'"My Lady," the boy said, "would that I could comfort you. Would that I could ease your pain with a few words. But I feel pain as yours, my Lady. Would that we could comfort each other."

'The Lady Moon stopped crying, and looked at the boy, shining Her light upon the land for the first time in days. "Would you?" She asked him softly, Her melodious voice a mere breeze to all but the boy.

'"I would," the boy said, and opened his arms as if to embrace the Lady Moon.

'The Lady Moon bathed him in the purest of her white light, wrapping him in the love She had locked away for the child of her dreams. The boy opened his heart as well, and felt as though he were being hugged to the soft breast of his mother once more.

'But they knew they could not be together at all times, for the Lady Moon had the people of our land to watch over. So She made the boy into Her Child Moon, and together they keep watch over us all. Hungry for the love of the other, they meet together in the sky, once every year, and embrace as parent and child once more.

'And so it is that every night, both the Lady Moon and Child Moon rise together and set together. And also so it is, that we celebrate this night, a night when all of our people remember our mothers, fathers, and children, and embrace our mother in the sky, our Lady Moon, and our son, our Child Moon.'

Qui-Gon's eyes were closed as he remembered that time that he hadn't thought of in years. There were a few heartbeats of silence before he told the rest of the story.

"The next morning, as I prepared to leave, the parents of the infant I carried with me made one last request. They asked that the child be named after the boy who had given the Lady Moon Her joy back, so that he might cross their paths again one day, and bring them joy as well.

"When I returned to Coruscant with the baby, I was asked what name should be entered in his records. Without hesitation, I gave the Grendhi name for the Child Moon, as his parents had asked. I can only hope that one day he will meet them, and bring them the happiness they desired."

As he finished the story, Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan. He was very nearly asleep, and looking more like a child than even when they had first become Master and Padawan. Gently, he lifted the youth up, and carried him to bed. As he tucked a lightly snoring Obi-Wan under the covers, Qui-Gon smoothed a few imaginary strands of hair from Obi-Wan's sleep-slackened brow. He straightened, walked to the door, and paused, looking back at Obi-Wan.

"Goodnight, Child Moon," Qui-Gon whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> Ha! So I've been reliably informed that Obi-Wan's home planet was Stewjon. 
> 
> In my defense, I wrote this with only the movie-verse canon available circa 2000, having already accepted I had no desire to read all the EU books.


End file.
